Sheet-centralizing mechanism.



G. P. BRAND.

SHEET CENTRALIZING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR-[3,19I5.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1- attoumz 1 5:15 co.. Puomunm. WASHINGmN.

G. P. BRAND.

SHEET CENTRALIZING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.13, 191s.

1,21 9,235. Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

inventor,

Witness G. P. BRAND.

SHEET CENTRALIZING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR-I3, I915.

1,21 9,235. Patented Mar. 13, 191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- &

GEORGE E. BRAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

$HEET-CENJRALIZING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed. April 13, 1915. Serial Ho. 21,166.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known thati, GEORGE P. BRAND, a

citizen of the United States. residin at New 1 ork, 1n the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Centralizing Mechanism, of which the following 1s a speclficatlon.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in centralizing devices for novable webs such. as note sheets of musical instruments, automatic typewritmg machines and the like.

The present nvention has for 1ts ob ect a among others to provide a simple and ellicient centralizing device for automatically accurately contralizing webs of difierent widths.

l/Vithin the music spool box I mount near each end oithe-trackerhar a pneumatic, each pneumatic having a port controlled by a valve carried by the pneumatic and cooperating with means coacting with the edges of a note sheet. These parts are reduced to a minimum and being within the music spool box are less liable to injury and are out of the way. The pneumatics are connected by means within the music spool box so as to move in unison and insure utmost accuracy. By this arrangement climatic conditions have minimum eliect upon the result attained. At the back of the music spool box I arrange the pneumatics ot' the music spool centralizing mechanism, thus economining space and placing the pneumatics in position where they are not'visible to the eye of the operator. I

i. connect the end spindles themusic spool by means controlled by the pneumatics at the rear of the music spool box just referred to.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a top plan'with a portion removed showing my present improvement.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.

Fig. at is a detail in end elevation.

Fig. 5 is a detail in elevation looking at the opposite end from that seen in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the pneumatic elements and connections.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the bleed device shown in Fig. 6 intermediate the pneumatics.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the levers of the edge guide mechanism.

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section through the lever seen in Fig. 8 with its connected member in position.

Fig. 10 shows a perspective detail of the adjacent ends of the members connecting the pneumatics within the music spool box.

Fig. 11 is an edge view of the connecting meansand pncumatics which they connect, with the connectingmeans shown in section.

Fig. 152 is an enlarged section as on the line 12-12 of Fig. 6.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings I have chosen to show only such parts of a mechanical musical instrument as are intimately associated with my present invention, it being understood tha the parts not herein shown or described may be of any well known or approved form of construction.

l designates the music spool box, 2 a trackerbar, 3 the take-up spool and 4, i the spindles on which the .music spool is designed to be mounted for rotation. In use the trackerbar is relatively fixed.

lVithin the box 1 and preferably beneath the trackerbar, I arrange pneumatics 5, 5, one near each end of the trackerbar and secured to or within the box in any suitable manner. its seen best in Fig. 12, the movable board or member 6 of each pneumatic 5 is provided with a port 7 which is controlled by a valve 8 movably secured at one end, as at 9, in any suitable manner, as by the, leather facing of said valve to the movable member 6, so as to control said opening, a spring 10 in this instance shown as surrounding a screw or the like ll held in the movable member 6 and loosely movable through an opening in the valve and the spring being seated at one end in a depression or cavity 12 in the valve and rendered adjustable by a nut or the like 13 on the end of the screw, serves to normally seat the valve. These pneumatics are fixed relatively to tl e trackerbar and are connected by means to insure that they shall move in unison with the greatest accuracy. In the present instance, I have shown them as connected in the "following manner: l l are connectors preferably, though not necessarily, of aluminum, secured each at one end, as at 15, to a movable member 6 of a pneumatic 5. The other ends of these connectors 1d are overlapped, as seen in Fig. 11, the end of one being provided with an elongated slot 16 and the other ith a pin or projection or the like 17 wl ich works in said slot as the pneumatics move to permit of the necessary longitudinal play. By this means movement of one pneumatic necessarily will give movement to the other, so that the two pneumatics move in perfect unison.

As the mecl'ianism is the same at both ends of tl e box, so far as pertains to the pneumatics and their closely associated parts, a description of one will su'llice for both. Referring, therefore, to Figs. 1 and 2, 18 is a rod mounted to slide freely in an opening in the end of the box 1 and may be guided in a tube 19, as shown. 20 is a resilient button the like on the outer end of the rod 18 designed for contact with one end of a member 21 pivotally mounted, as at 22, on a rod or the like fixed in the end of the box 1 and projecting outward beyond the same. The other end of this ever 21 is designed for contact with a resilient button or the like 2-1- carried on a rod 25 movable through an opening in the end wall of the box 1 and which may be guided through a tube 26, as shown. 27 is a spring around the tube 26 letween the button and the adjacent face of the end wall of the box 1. The inner end of the rod 25 carries a member 28 adapted tor contact with the edge of a note sheet. The lever 21 may be pivotally mounted in suitable manner, but in the present instance is shown as provided with ears 529, see h1g5. S and 9, having openings 30 for the passage of the pivot 22, the rod 23 working through a slot 31 the body portion of said lever.

At each end of the back of tie box 1 l mount a pneumatic 32 secured thereto in any suitable manner and each connected with the adjacent pneumatic 5 by a tube or conduit 3-3, as seen best in Fig. 6.

lilach pneumatic 5 is further connected a tube or conduit 34-, S5, vith bleed chamin a box 38, all as seen in '6. lieg to Fig. 7, it will be that the i mounted on a coupling board 257, as will be seen also in Fig. t. This box has a bleed chamber 38 with which the conduit S-l-connects through the passage 39 in said box and a chamber 10 with which the conduit connects through a passage ll. 42 is a ilhOG for supplying tension. Tt is designed to be connecteo with the hind chest or action chest, not shown, or any other source of supply for the operation of the dev'ee. lit communicates with a passage in the coupling board, as seen in Fig. "I, and from this passage 4-3 are bleeds 45-1 and into the chambers 40 and 88 respectively.

As seen best in Fig. 6, each pneumatic 5 s1 is provided wi i a spring d6 tending to normally keep the pneumatic 1n 1ts inflated "f member and having the de pending portions as seen best in Fig. 2. upr glltS having the transverse lower portions 57 which are loosely secured to the ends of the music box 1 by any suitable means, as the screws or the like 58, so as permit of bodily movement of the upgb'ts which serve to support the U- pod members just described.

The Splzllll t for the music spool are endwise movable through the uprights 56 and the ends of the box 1 and move with the U- shaped bars 53 and 54:.

The uprights 56 are held against displacement by pins or the like 59, see Fig. 2, which form a loose connection between said uprights and the adjacent U-shaped bar 54.

The U-shaped bars 58 and 54; and their connections and supports constitute what I term a floating transmission device, but no claim per se is made thereto in this application as the same will form the basis of a separate appl cation. It is herein shown, however, one form of mechanism for cooperation with the edge guide mechanism hereinbefore described in detail.

In connection with the mechanism hereinbettere described, I may employ a pneumatic rake, one form or which is herein shown and comprises a pneumatic 60 mounted upon and adapted to move with the floating trans mission members above described. The brake member 61 is connected with and actuated by the movable member of the pneumatic 60 and acts against the periphery of the wheel 62 on the shaft 63 of one of the spindles 4% of the music roll, as seen in Fig. 5. No clainn'however, is made in this applicati on to this brake mechanism.

64: is a. conneeaion leading from the pneumanic 60 to the action chest, not shown, in a man. or usual and well known in this class of devices. The springs 10 are of suflicient strengtlrto overcome the springs 27 at the proper time.

With the parts constructed and arranged i substantially as hereinbefore described, the operation will be as follows The floating transmission device seen best in Fig. 2 and with which the music spool spindles 4 are movable, operates as follows :The pneumatics 32 situated at the back of the box on each end are connected to the transmission to cause it to move to the right and left. When the pneumatic 32 on the left is wholly or in part collapsed, it carries the transmission to the left and forces the pneumatic 32 at the right to open and when the pneumatic 32 is wholly or in part collapsed it has the opposite effect on the pneumatic 32 at the left of the box. Thereby, it is readily seen that the transmission is carried either to the right or the left by the pneumatics 32.

When a roll is inserted in the usual manner, the edge guides are normally out of contact with the note sheet, as seen in Fig. 2 in full lines. This is done for the purpose of admitting sheets of greater width and also insuring that the edge guides shall be out of contact with the sheet when rewinding the music. It is constructed also to take in sheets of much less width than shown in Fig. 2, as no operation takes place until the pneumatics 5 collapse, forcing the edge guides against the edges of the sheet, as

shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,whether it be of less or greater width. If one edge guide hits the sheet first and the sheet not being central, that particular edge guide (for illustration the edge guide on the right side of the sheet) will cause the valve 8 to open, letting air through the port 7 into the pneumatic 5, admitting air into pneumatic 32 through the connections from the pneumatic 5 to the pneumatic 32, inflating the pneumatic 32, at the same time weakening the pressure of the bleed chamber 40, at the same time the valve 8 on the opposite side of the sheet is closed to the atmosphere, allowing the bleed 44 in the bleed chamber 40, through the connections 35 and 33, to draw air from the pneumatic 5 and 32 on the opposite side, causing the pneumatic 32 and pneumatic 5, to collapse until the sheet is drawn to the left until both edge guides are in contact with the sheet at the same time. Then, the bleeds in the bleed chambers 40 and 38 are constantly drawing on their respective pneumatics. Consequently, when the two edge guides strike the sheet at the same time, both valves 8 are opened just a little, enough to allow atmosphere to enter each port 7 in the-pneumatics 5, through the connections into the respective bleed chambers, overcoming the bleeds 44 and 45, thereby putting the sheet in a central position.

. Now, this mechanism being so constructed that when the slightest movement possible in either direction of the sheet takes place, it gives a double movement in the operation of the two valves 8 on the pneumatics 5, for instance, if a sheet should start to move to the left in the smallest degree, the valve 8 on the pneumatic 5 at the right will close and cause the said pneumatic to start to collapse and at the same time preventing the pneumatic 5 at the left of the box from opening, if anything, forcing it to collapse at a slight degree against the movement of the sheet opening the valve 8 on said pneumatic, admitting atmosphere into the pneumatic 5 and pneumatic 32 and allowing the pneumatic 32 on the right side of the box to bring the sheet to its central position, and vice versa, and thereby practically not allowing the sheet to wander from its path enough to be noticeable by the naked eye, as the valves operated by the edge guides on each side of the music sheet are kept in the closest relation, no matter what width sheet is employed.

Modifications in details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of themvention or sacrificing any of its advantages. What is claimed as new is 1. A pneumatic provided with a port open to the atmosphere and a valve for said port carried directly on and movable with said pneumatic and actuated from a note sheet.

2. A pneumatic having a port in its movable member and a valve carried by said movable member and actuated from a note sheet.

3. A pneumatic provided with a port in its movable member, and a valve carried by the movable member and controlled by a note sheet and movably mounted to control said port.

4. A pneumatic provided with a port in its movable member, and a movably mounted valve carried by said movable member to control said port, and means actuated from a note sheet to control said valve.

5. A. pneumatic provided with a port in its movable member, a valve carried by said movable member to control said port, and a spool-moving pneumatic operatively connected with the first-named pneumatic.

6. A pneumatic provided with a port in.

its movable member, a valve mounted on said movable member and controlling said port, and a pneumatic arranged to move a music spool and operatively connected with the first-named pneumatic, said valve being controlled by a note sheet.

7 Pneumatically-controlled edge-engaging means embodying a pneumatic having a port open to the atmosphere and a valve mounted on and movable with the pneumatic and actuated from a note-sheet.

8. Pneumatic centralizing mechanism, and movably-mounted ported means, port-controlling means thereon and controlling the port thereof, edge-engaging means actuated from a note sheet and adapted to control the movement of the centralizing means both to the right and left.

9. lneumatic sheet-registration means, embodying means to engage the edge of a note-sheet, a pneumatic having a port open to the atmosphere, and a valve for said port mounted on and movable with the pneumatic and controlled by the edge-engaging means.

10. Pneumatic centralizing means, movable pneumatically-controlled means at opposite edges of and operated by a note sheet, and means whereb the former is controlled by the latter.

11. A pair of pneumatics, means connecting them to move in unison, sheet-controlled means movable with said pneumatics, and valves mounted on said pneumatics and cooperating with said sheet controlled means.

12. A pair of pneumatics one at each end of a music box, means connecting them to more in imison, sheetcontrolled means r evable with the pneumatie's, and valves mou ed on the pneumatics and cooperating with said sheet controlled means.

18. A pair of pncumatics one near eaclend of a trackerbar, means connecting them to move in unison, and sheet-controlled means movable and in contact with he neumatics.

14. Pneumatically-act ated directly valvecontrolled sheet movin means controlled by atmospheric air and cooperable w'th note sheets of varying widths.

15. A pneumatic having a port open to the atmosphere and a valve movable witn the pneumatic to control said port and maintained in close relation thereto regardles of the width of the note sheet.

16. Movably mounted ported means, portcontrolling means carried thereby, and sheet-controlled means for controlling said port controlling means.

17. Movably-mounted ported .icans, portcontrolling means movable therewith, and means for holding said port controlling means in close relation to the ports regardless of the width of a note sheet.

18. lvlovably-mounted ported means, and valves secured thereto and said valves being controlled by a note sheet and the valves and ports automatically held in close relation to each other.

19. l'vlovably-mounted ported means, and valves secured thereto, valves being controlled by a note sheet and the valves and ports held in close relation with each other when sheets of dillerent Widths are employed.

20. lllovably-mounted ported means valves secured thereto, said valves being trolled by a note sheet and said valves and con-

and

ports automatically held in close relation to each other when sheets or different widths are employed.

21. l dovably-mounted ported means, and secured thereto, said valves being con trolled by a note sheet and the valves and ports held in the sea 1e close relation when sheets of dilicrent wi lths are employed.

22. lalovably-mounted ported means valves secured thereto, said valves being controlled by a note sheet and said valves and ports automatically held in the same close relatioi t and "0 each other when sheets of dillerent widths are employed.

5-23. A centralizing mechanism, movablymounted ported 1. cans and valves secured thereto, said valves being controlled by a note sheet and the valves and ports being l l in close relation to each other.

A centra izing mechanism, movablymounted ported means and valves inov; ble therewith, said valves and ports held in the some close relation to each other when sheets of difl erent widths are employed.

ce rulizing mechanism, movablymounted ported means, and valves mo able therewith, said valves and ports being held automatically in the same close relation to ach other regardless of the width of sheet employed.

26. f1 pneumatic having a port 0 pen to the v. 1, mi l- I atmos here, a valve mounted o1 tly upon I. v and movable with the pneumatic and actuated from a note sheet to control said port, and or automati ally keeping the valve and port in close relation regardless of the widt i of sheet employed.

2?. A pneumatic centralizing mechanism, pneumatic with a port, a valve on the pneumatic and movable therewith -tor con trolling said port, and sheet cooperating means cooperable with valve.

28. A pneumatic centralizing mechanism, i r umatie with a port open to the atmosa valve on the pneumatic actuated a note sleet and controlling the port and mea s cooperating with said port and valve ;or keeping the same in the same close relation when sheets of different widths are employed.

29. A. pneumatic with a port open to the atmosphere, a valve for said port mounted directly on and movable with the pneumatic and actuated from a note-sheet, and sheetengaging means movable independently of the pneumatic and cotiperating therewith, said valve and port being kept in close relation regardless of the width of the sheet employed.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

